


Into The Realm Of The Beasts

by PonderRose



Category: Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: Action & Romance, Action/Adventure, F/M, Falling In Love, Fights, Imprinting, Ireland, Love, Overprotective, Passion, Possessive Behavior, Protectiveness, Romance, Teen Romance, True Love, Vampires, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-19
Updated: 2020-07-06
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:34:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 21,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24801670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PonderRose/pseuds/PonderRose
Summary: Bella travels to Ireland where she stays at a mysterious castle. Little does she know that she is surrounded by werewolves and vampires. The castle's inheritor, Jacob Black, imprints on Bella and is determined to keep his new mate alive during her stay. Very possessive and overprotective Jacob. JacobxBella (no Edward). Inspired by The Moon-Spinners. Enjoy!
Relationships: Jacob Black/Bella Swan
Comments: 2
Kudos: 15





	1. Arrival At Kylemore Abbey

(Author's Note: I know Kylemore Abbey is not a hotel in real life. But it is my absolute favourite castle in Ireland aside from Dublin Castle and of course Kilkenny Castle. The first time I visited Kylemore Abbey, I fell hopelessly in love. As such, this story is going to take place there. Just pretend it's a hotel in this world. Enjoy!)

Our lovely Irish driver drove up to the front of Kylemore Abbey; the hotel we'd be staying at for the next three days. Daddy opened his door and our driver opened mine. My face lit up the moment I took in the whole site. What a beautiful, magnificent place! I'm serious. Greenery as far as the eye could see, and the castle itself- a masterpiece in stone in my humble opinion. We were right out in the middle of the Irish countryside and forests. What a gorgeous location for a holiday.

Daddy paid the driver and came over to stand beside me. He planted his hands on his waist and glanced up at the edifice. "Well, Bells; what do ya think?" He inquired. "Oh, it's perfect! I can't believe we're actually going to stay here!" "Yeah; it's not bad, is it? Nothin' like this back in Forks, huh?" "Daddy, I love it," I breathed. "And here I thought you'd be heartbroken to leave Dublin," he gazed my way. "Oh, I love Dublin too; don't get me wrong. We still have to go to Kilmainham Gaol when we go back." Daddy rolled his eyes at this. "I know, I know. We will; I promise. But for now, just enjoy your time here." "That won't be a problem! I can't wait to go inside the castle!" I squealed excitedly.

"It's owned and run by one family," our driver told us after unloading our bags. "Really?" We turned our heads to see him. The man nodded. "The Blacks. Ancient family; have roots going back centuries here." "Is that so?" We all peered back to the hotel. "Yeah, I was actually surprised when you said you'd were staying here," the driver then admitted. This astonished Daddy and me. "But this is a hotel?" My question was more of a statement, not that the driver noted. He simply shook his head. "Not a lot of outsiders come here. You're the first I've driven here this year." "Really?" Daddy's eyebrow raised. I could read his mind; being a cop, this was a little suspicious, all things considered. But Daddy did the polite thing and didn't push the issue further, though I knew it'd be on the back of his mind for our entire stay here.

The driver said goodbye and wished us a pleasant stay. We waved as he returned back to his car. Before getting into the vehicle, he gave us one last look. A side-grin rolled across the corner of his mouth. "Mind you watch out for wolves. These parts are riddled with them." With that, he got in and drove away, never to be seen by us again. Daddy and I looked at each other confused. "I thought… there weren't any wolves in Europe anymore?" I said this but I didn't sound confident. Daddy's tongue ran under his bottom lip. "There are, but none in Ireland I've heard of." We didn't dwell on that too long; I was itching to get inside the castle. We grabbed our luggage and headed for the double-wood front door.

The doors opened to reveal this glorious mansion. I can't explain this place; I could never do it justice. Just picture this elegant, Victorian era manor with ornate décor every which way. The embroidered carpet on the floor was particularly lovely. Daddy and I admired our surrounding all the way to the front desk. No one was minding it; not that we noticed right away. By the time we did, the front personnel saw us first. And their reaction was not what we were expecting.

"What are you doing here?!" This man- a tan fellow with broad shoulder, a bit older than me I believe- rushed over to us. Boy, did he sound upset…. for some reason. Daddy was mildly taken aback by his abrupt behaviour. "Uh, hi? We're here to check-in." "Check-in? No, you can't check-in. We don't have any vacancies for your kind here." "Our kind?" Daddy repeated in a stiff tone. Sensing my father's change in mood, the front man re-evaluated his tactics, as shown by his eyes drifting around for a second.

"I'm sorry, but this hotel is for… Irish-born guests. You're…. American, I take it? You see, this hotel is not for you." "Oh, well you didn't seem to mention any of that when I booked here four months ago," Daddy retorted. "There must have been some sort of error," the front man pressured. "Guess so," course Daddy was having none of that. "Look, we will pay for another taxi and refund your room. But you have to leave; this is none negotiable." "Now you listen to me, buddy. My daughter has been looking forward to this trip for a long time. We just got here from Dublin; I have no other arrangements for us. Now you either book us in or get me your manager because I….."

Daddy's tirade was cut short by another kinder voice coming from the big hall. We all looked to see a much older man with long black hair in a wheelchair. He was grinning slightly and glancing at the man behind the front desk. The front man reacted immediately, shutting up and spinning to face him directly. The man in the wheelchair first said something to him in Gaelic, and then he gazed at us with a gentle expression.

"You're the guests from America, right?" "That's right," Daddy answered. "My apologize for the rude introduction; he just had someone else in mind. Not you, though. You are more than welcome to stay." Daddy looked at me and back to him with some scepticism. "You in charge around here?" "You could say that. My son's set to inherit Kylemore Abbey. I'm more just one of the overseers in the interim; Sam here is the hotel manager." "You're the manager?" Daddy gave Sam an unimpressed stare. Sam frowned but begrudgingly nodded. "So, can we stay or not? Not to put too fine a point on it, but you're not making it very clear for us." "Of course you can stay; it's only for the weekend, after all. We'd love to have some foreign guests around the grounds." "Alright then," Daddy still didn't sound happy. The man in the wheelchair wasn't looking at him any longer though; instead he rolled up to me.

"And who is this divine creature?" "Uh, this is my daughter, Bella." "Hello, Bella. It's nice to meet you, my dear." "Nice to meet you too," we shook hands. His smile widened. "Such a sweet child. You'll be an ornament to our hotel." "Um, t-thank you," I wasn't sure what to say to that; I've never been called an "ornament" before. The wheelchair man hung around as Daddy filled in the paperwork and got our room keys. All the while Sam seemed very on edge about something. When all that was done, he turned back to his- I guess- boss.

"What about her?" He spoke in English this time. "What about her?" The wheelchair man replied. It didn't take a genius to figure out that they were talking about me. Sam rolled his eyes as if what he was implying was obvious. "She's not going to stay in a room by herself, is she?" "Why not?" Daddy asked before I had the chance. Both men blinked to him a bit muddled. I mean, yeah. How are you going to explain that? Though I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious to hear how they would clarify it.

"Oh, it's uh…. uh…. Well, she's a young woman," Sam stated. "With her father in the room right beside hers, yeah?" Daddy's eyebrow lifted up yet again. "But she's young…. and we don't have a lot of her kind here." "You mean teenage girls?" Daddy asked rhetorically. Sam and the wheelchair man looked at one another, partaking in a silent conversation momentarily. Then their heads moved back in our direction. "She'll be fine. Just…. make sure your door is locked and everything." "She'd better be fine," Daddy warned in his stern police tone. The men nodded understanding. I blinked back to the man in the wheelchair.

"What about wolves?" "Wolves?" This seemed to take him back. "Our driver said there's lots of wolves in the area." Once again, he and Sam glanced to each other. Eventually the former grinned back at me, trying to look reassuring. "You don't have to worry about them out here. So long as you stay out of the dense part of the forest, you'll be fine."


	2. The Most Amazing Hotel Room

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bella and Charlie see their hotel rooms for the first time.

Daddy and I opened our hotel room doors at the same time. My eyes lit up at the incredible sight awaiting me inside. This room wasn’t a hotel room; it was a luxury suite! Though I know it wouldn’t be- Daddy would never book such an ornate room anywhere- I couldn’t believe how gorgeous this room outfitted. Decorated carpets overtop sleek stained wooden floor; a gigantic bouquet of flowers in an antique vase near the window; a light red silk canopy bed with a thousand pillows; gold trim on the white-washed pearl walls; curtains with beautiful floral embroidery; a huge fireplace with satin single chairs in front of it; there was even a chandelier hanging from the ceiling. I couldn’t believe my eyes- this was by far the most elegant, high-class room I’ve ever stayed in. And it didn’t cost more than a normal hotel in Dublin either! It was almost too good to be true. “Holy shit,” judging by the way Daddy gasped in the other room, I’d say he was thinking the same thing.

“Bells? Honey?” My father turned into my doorway to find me going into this divine site. I didn’t say anything; I was still too elated to comprehend that I was actually going to stay here. He put his hands on his hips and looked at me. “So, what do you think?” “It’s Versailles!” My hands threw up into the air enthralled. “Not too far off, is it?” Daddy took a few steps into my room, glancing around. “Did you really find this place online?” “Sure did, but I’m not quite sure how. Maybe that’s what that guy was on about. Maybe it’s a private site or something.” “Well however you did it, I’m so glad you did! Daddy, this is perfect! I love it; I never wanna leave.” “Well, you got three days here. Look, why don’t uh, get yourself unpacked? I’m a bit rank from the trip; gonna go have a quick shower.” “Ok, Daddy. Have a good shower,” I smiled warmly at him. He brushed the back of his head before heading for the door. “And uh, stay in room until I’m done, ok? I don’t what those two guys meant earlier but I get the feeling……. Ah, I just want you to stay put, kay sweetheart?” “Sure thing, Daddy. I’ll use the time to explore my new room!” I didn’t hold back on the squeal. 

Daddy left and I went back to admiring absolutely everything surrounding me. I doubt this was the master bedroom at one point, though it might have been. But I was willing to bet that Daddy’s room was at least as big as mine. And mine was quite girly, feminine- if that makes any sense. I don’t see this being a sort of boy’s room; maybe that’s why they gave it to me. My shoulders gave a shrug as another massive smile crept across my lips. Ah, who cares why they gave it to me?! I utterly adored it! The people who owned this castle were incredibly lucky. I couldn’t let my dream of living in such a place; I’d never be that fortunate. But I did have the privilege of getting to stay here for a little while, which was enough for me! Super happy, I squealed again and ran towards the bed. Just like that scene in Princess Dairies 2, I flung myself onto the bed, letting my hair fly everywhere on the pillows behind me. I don’t think I could have been smiling wider. This was going to be such a good weekend! I couldn’t wait to see more of the manor! Speaking of the manor……. 

My glory session was interrupted by a soft knocking at my door. Thinking it might be Daddy- but he would have just come into my room if it had been him- I shuffled off the bed and went to open it. I was greeted a familiar, kind face on the other side. The man in the wheelchair from downstairs was there and smiling up at me. “Hello, my dear. I just came to check and see how you like your room,” his tone was gentle. Of course I grinned as a natural reaction.  
“I love it! I never dreamed I’d get to sleep in a room like this! I mean, I’ve seen rooms like this before in museums but never thought in a hotel……..” The man laughed. “Good, I’m glad to hear it. And your father? Does he also like his room?” “I think so. He certainly hasn’t complained about it.” “Very good. You’re the first Americans to stay in these rooms.” “We are?!” This shocked me for some reason. It just seemed so obvious that more tourists would visit this castle, but then again, considering what Sam said downstairs that might not be the case. The man laughed a second time. “You do have this “American” vibe about you.” “Oh……. Is that a bad thing?” I asked somewhat shyly. His head shook. “Not at all. It’s refreshing to have some new blood around……. no pun intended.” No pun intended? That was a weird thing for him to say……. But I didn’t address it. The man just kept grinning up at me. 

“Is there anything I can bring you or do to make your stay more enjoyable?” “Oh no! You’ve already done enough. I feel so privileged to just be here.” “Nonsense, child. You’re our guests! Which means that your comfort and welfare are our top concerns this weekend.” This made my smile grow. What a kind-hearted fellow……. “Thank you, sir. I appreciate it; I really do.” “Now, none of this “sir”. My name is William Black, but you can call me Billy.” “Ok, Billy.” “If there’s anything you need, anything at all, don’t hesitate to……..” Billy’s sentence was broken off by another vocal interruption. 

“Hey, Bells, can I borrow your shampoo? I must have left mine back in Dublin……..” Daddy trailed off when he rounded his doorframe to find Billy under my threshold. Billy automatically flashed him a smile. “I was just seeing how your daughter liked her room. She seems quite pleased with it.” “Yeah, she is. We weren’t expecting anything like this,” Daddy admitted. “Well, I hope you enjoy your stay with us as well, Mr. Swan.” “Please, call me Charlie,” Daddy told him. The two men looked at each other, a grin blossoming across Billy’s mouth. I think he was already getting to like Daddy and me. This only endeared me to him more, and I could tell the same was happening with Daddy. His eyes softened onto the man in the wheelchair in a friendly manner. 

“I better get back downstairs. We’ll have some dinner ready for you at say, seven o’clock?” “You don’t have to do that,” Daddy’s hand gave a wave. “Course we do! You’re our guests. It’ll give you an opportunity to meet the other family members too. Everyone’s very excited to have Americans in the hotel.” “You got a big family?” Daddy scratched his chin curiously. “Yes, I’m afraid; and they all work at the hotel. We actually have a lot of members around your age, Bella,” he said. “You do?” I didn’t think I’d meet anyone my age here……. again, for some illogical reason. 

Billy nodded. Then he looked back at me; I could have sworn I saw a twinkle in his eyes this time. It was only for a moment, but I caught it. He seemed to be thinking of something happy. “You should meet my son; he’s about your age.” “Jacob?” Daddy’s eyebrow raised; he sounded less enthusiastic. You know how fathers of teenage daughters are. “That’s right. You’ll see him tonight I’m sure.” “Yeah, well, we’re only gonna be here for three days, Bella,” Daddy reminded me, causing me to roll my eyes. Oh, Daddy and his overprotectiveness. I get where he’s coming from; he doesn’t want me to get attached when we’ll be leaving so soon. But I didn’t see any reason why I couldn’t make some new friends in Ireland before then. Still, I had to put him at ease- it’s my duty as his loving daughter. 

“I know, Daddy; I know. Don’t worry; everything will be fine.” “Good. Now, can I have that shampoo? I hate to break the convo so short, but I gotta have a shower,” Daddy explained to an understanding Billy. “Not at all! I’ll see you both at dinner later. It’ll be outside on the patio.” “Sounds good. See ya then.” “Thanks, Billy. Here’s the shampoo, Daddy,” I fetched him the bottle. Billy made his leave and so did Daddy, heading back into his room. I shut the door, forgetting for a second, then remembering what Billy said about locking my bedroom door. I’m sure Daddy would want that too. I locked it and went over to massive window overlooking the front of the castle’s property, which included a private lake. I couldn’t get over how incredible this sight was. That’s when I noticed a pathway leading into the left-side of the forest. It looked open enough for it to be safe; at least I’d be in view of everyone around. Huh, I leaned against the wood of the windowsill. Guess I have something to do before dinner tonight now.


	3. An Awkward Encounter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bella meets a stranger while out on a walk.

Daddy finished up with his shower and came back into my room. He was rubbing his hair dry with a towel. “So, honey, whatcha wanna do now? We got some time until dinner.” “I saw this forest path from my window. See, right there,” Daddy came to see where I was pointing to outside my window. “Huh,” was his casual response. “Wanna go on a walk? See where it goes to?” “I don’t know, Bells; I’m kinda tired. Couldn’t we do that tomorrow?” He scratched the back of his head. “Well, could I go on a little walk? I really want to explore around here,” I pleaded. Daddy looked at me for a moment a bit reluctantly. 

“I don’t know about that, sweetheart. You heard what Sam and Billy said about you going off on your own.” “But I explored all around Dublin and Galway alone; nothing bad happened.” “I know, but this isn’t like walking around in a city by yourself. You got more than creeps and crooks to worry about out here.” “I promise I won’t go far; half an hour! Just give me half an hour. I won’t leave the path or go into the trees. And if I see anything suspicious, I’ll come straight back. Promise,” my hands clasped together in a begging fashion. Daddy watched me a minute longer before rolling his eyes and letting out a sigh.

“Half an hour, then you come out to the garden with me.” “Thanks, Daddy!” I threw my arms around his neck. After a quick hug, I grabbed my sweater and room key. Despite Billy supposedly having a large family, the interior of the hotel itself was pretty quiet. I didn’t see either Billy or Sam when I reached the front desk; I didn’t see anyone actually. Not that I found this to be alarming or anything. “They must all be outside,” I said dismissively to myself. 

I stepped outside onto the front steps and set the timer on my phone. Ok! A full half an hour to explore the mysterious path. It wasn’t mysterious at all in reality; it looked really well-used. But I liked to pretend it was mysterious, leading into who-knows-where. Along the way I took the odd nibble of a Boost Bar and sip of water from my pink water bottle; I hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast in downtown Dublin this morning. For the first little while, the path led down a forest line with the forest on one side and the lake on the other. It was very open, and I had yet to see or hear any wolves. Heh, I chuckled to myself. “I’m half expecting to hear sheep,” I have a habit of talking out loud to myself. Sheep, heh; little Irish joke there. 

I walked for about fifteen minutes or so, thinking that I should probably head back soon, when I spotted this grey-stone cathedral not too far in the distance. One thing you have to know about me is that when I see something like that, I can’t just walk away. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten hopelessly lost in Dublin or Galway doing the exact same thing. My curiosity for curious old building and ruins was just too great. Completely forgetting about the time for a moment, a great big smile drew across my face as I didn’t hesitate to approach the edifice. 

It was old, or at least it looked old. Picture a smaller version of a catholic cathedral; the type you’d see in Dublin or Paris. The fixture had a tower, which I presumed had a bell inside. Although it looked very old and beautiful, the place seemed as if no one had been there in ages. That’s strange; why would they ignore such a gorgeous building on their land? I looked through one of the dirty windows once I approached the front double-door entrance. There was no man-made light inside; all light was from the sun shining through the many stained panels. 

I wasn’t expecting the door to be open. I mean, why would it be if no one came down here? But to my shock and delight, the door budged an inch when I pressed down against it. The right door opened just enough for me to squeeze on through. It didn’t cross my mind either that this might be considered trespassing. I wasn’t going to touch or move anything; I just wanted to see inside. 

The inside of the cathedral was a lot bigger that I’d been expecting; it didn’t look this huge from the outside. It was silent too, and in an eerie sort of way. I wasn’t worried about running into any wolves in here; more so rats or dead carcasses of small animals who had the misfortune to get trapped in such a place. It honestly felt more like a tomb than anything, though I knew it couldn’t be that. Lots of dusty crosses, worn statues of the virgin Mary, and the like were everywhere. The only thing that was missing were the pews, but there was a vacant alter at the front of the room. “Well, this is creepy,” I said out loud. It was surprising how much my voice and even footsteps echoed all throughout the site as I moved along. That explains why I was so startled at the sound of someone else’s voice speaking seconds after mine. 

“What are you doing in here?” My feet instantly spun around to see this man standing at the other end of the room; he was looking straight at me. He was……. I’m not sure how old he was, actually. He didn’t look anything like Billy or Sam. His skin was very pale- almost to a sickly degree. If I’d seen him on the streets, I might have thought he was ill. His eyes were crimson, which I didn’t know was possible for humans to have as an eye colour. Tall, slender, and with dark brown hair. Because he looked so different from the others, I wondered if he was another guest at the hotel. He didn’t speak to me in a hostile tone; no, more curiosity than anything. I felt a bit embarrassed being caught in here like this. My fingers twiddled each other anxiously. 

“I uh…… I was just looking,” I tried to explain myself. But the man didn’t say anything right away. Instead his crimson eyes were locked so securely onto me. It’s like I was the last person he’d expect to find here……. somehow. He was staring so intently in fact, that I began to feel uncomfortable. Sensing my body language, he drew an immediate smile across his pale, thin lips. 

“Well now, just look at you. You get here today?” “Uh y-yeah, I came here with my father…….” I replied awkwardly. His eyes just continued to grow and grow. “Mmmmmm, I figured so; I smelt you come in here.” Smelt me?! What does that mean? I didn’t realize I was that sweaty from the trip. In a show of utter humiliation, I tried to casually place both my hands under my armpits hoping that might help. But the strange pale man kept smiling with gravity right at me. 

“I’d almost forgotten…….. We haven’t had any of your kind come around here in such a long time.” There he goes with “my kind” again. What does that even mean?! Well, American, I guess. The man took a step towards me, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly. “And what a beautiful human you are too. I don’t know how we got so lucky to have someone like you come stay in these parts.” “Uh………?” What……. Just the hell do you say to something like that? Is this his way of hitting on me or something? He does realize that I’m still technically a minor, right? He looked young but not as young as me; mid-twenties, I’d say. I did gulp, however, when his thin hand lifted up in my direction. His eyes almost had this hungry tint to them. “So young, so fragile……… You smell so……. delicious.” 

Ok, time to go. I’m pretty sure that he meant that in a sexual way, which didn’t sit well with my virgin brain. Thankfully, now was around the time my timer went off on my phone. This caused the man to blink, as if to catch himself with something. I pulled out my phone and turned off the timer. “I’ve gotta go,” I excused myself, nervous to go pass him to the cathedral’s door. He stepped aside but didn’t take his eyes off me as I went on by. A gross, lustful smile appeared on his mouth as I reached the wooden door; I had just enough time to see it before I left. “Perfect; you’ll be so perfect,” was the last thing he said. Ew, gross! How could he even think that about an underage girl? I practically ran the whole way back to the castle. 

Daddy was already waiting for me when I got there; he was standing on the front step of the castle with his hands on his hips. I reached him, gasping to catch my breath. After a few deep inhales, I flashed him a smile. “Made it!” “You’re late,” Daddy remarked with his “stern, fatherly” tone. “By five minutes,” I waved him off. “Is that why you were running? You’d knew you’d already be late?” I didn’t reply, not wanting to verbally lie to my father. Instead I simply straightened up and looked at him. Daddy watched me, then shook his head. “Oh, it’s fine. Let’s go around back to the gardens.” “Uh, would it actually be ok if I took a really quick shower first? I think I’m pretty rank from the trip too.” This surprised Daddy……. for some reason. But he nodded his head. “Alright, just remember to lock your door. I’ll be out here when you’re done.” “Thanks, Daddy. See you in a bit.” 

I knew deep down that I should have told Daddy or perhaps Billy about the creep I met in the cathedral. But I was able to justify my non-action in my mind by reasoning that we’d only be here for three more days and I didn’t want to ruin them. Besides, I wouldn’t be going back to that cathedral alone anytime soon. Plus I knew how Daddy would get if he heard that this weird older man was making googly eyes at his seventeen year old daughter. He’d rely every man on the hotel premise to go on a manhunt. That was the last thing either of us needed on our vacation in an otherwise paradise. For those reasons alone I decided to keep the encounter to myself. I was convinced that I’d never see him again anyway, so why bring it up? I’d much rather enjoy the rest of my vacation.


	4. The First Time They Saw Each Other

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bella and Jacob see each other for the first time.

I came out of my room, freshly showered and wearing a cute little pink shirt and skirt. Daddy was already out in the hall waiting for me; his arms were crossed over his chest. He saw me come over to him smiling. Of course he gave me a once over, only to frown. “Do you have to wear that to dinner?” “What’s wrong with it?” I glanced down at myself; I was definitely modest enough. Not even my shoulders were showing. But Daddy was adamant. His hand rubbed the back of his head- the action he did whenever he was contemplating something. “Nothing’s wrong with it. It’s just……. do you have to look so……. cute? You look like a cupcake with some fairy dust thrown in for good measure.” “Thank you!” I beamed at me quite flattered. Seeing the backfire of his unintentional compliment, Daddy rolled his eyes. He then motioned with his head for me to follow him. “Come on, let’s go.” “Ok,” I ran up, linking my arm with his. He gave mine a quick squeeze. “I’m not letting you out of my sight tonight,” he declared in a whisper, making this gigantic smile draw across my lips. I wasn’t trying to look particularly good or anything; I just liked this outfit. But it was nice to hear I looked so all the same. 

We reached the main level and found the side door through the parlour. The parlour was as Victorian and unchanged as you can imagine it. The only modern editions were electrical outlets, an overhead light, and wifi. Besides that were these antique cherry wood sitting chairs and sofa. I didn’t get a very good look at the room as I was whisked outside to join the others. Or should I say “other”. 

Outside into the grey stone rectangular block right in front of the garden proper were these two long tables and a few two-person round tea tables. The two long tables had wooden benches placed on each side; it could hold I’d say about forty people or so when both in use. Tonight there were only plates and cutlery on one of the long tables- the one closest to the door. Not too far off was another larger door which I guessed went into the kitchen; it was propped open by a wooden stopper. Despite there being several dishes waiting outside for distribution, nobody was around- not immediately anyway. 

Daddy and I simply looked at each other, unsure what to do next. Billy said dinner was around seven o’clock and it was already six forty-five. You’d think there’d be at least someone else out here getting ready. There obviously must have been someone indicated by the dishes and propped door, but they seemed to have disappeared. Daddy scratched the back of his head and glanced around puzzled. “Well……..” He began but didn’t finish his sentence. I was about to say that everyone might still be inside the equally quiet castle until a voice broke off my chance. 

“Hello! You must be the Swans!” We both darted around to see this kind-looking woman- in her mid-twenties I’d say- come out from the open door. She was carrying a tray of glasses in her hands. This woman was tall, thin, had longish hair, and looked really pretty. But as she got closer to us, we made out these three claw marks on one side of her face. Both our grins faded upon spotting this, but we dared not mention it. Instead we focused on her friendly greeting to us. 

“Y-Yeah, that’s us,” Daddy said. “Welcome to Kylemore Abbey! We’re so happy to have you,” this woman was sure sweet. I already knew that I liked her from this one-minute interaction. “Thanks,” was Daddy’s tart reply. I smiled, trying to be more outgoing. “I love your castle.” “Thanks; we’re pretty proud of it. You’re Isabella, I take it?” “Bella, yes,” I nodded. “And you’re Charlie?” She then pointed to Daddy, who merely replied with a single nod. Her grin widened. “Well, I’m very pleased to meet both of you. I was really surprised when Sam said we’d be having American humans stay with us.” 

Daddy and I turned to one another again. Humans? Why would she say that exactly? Of course we’re humans- what else would we be? It was just like that creepy guy back in the forest. It didn’t make any sense. After all, wasn’t she a human as well? Obviously she was. I could tell Daddy was thinking the same thing, but we gave each other a look which read to let it go. Maybe she misspoke or something. Daddy’s mouth opened and he looked back her way. 

“Don’t have many guests staying here this weekend?” I think he asked this because he couldn’t imagine anything else to say. Her lips erupted in a little chuckle as her eyes wandered out towards the garden proper. “Yeah, well, it’s not the busy season, you could say.” Yet again, Daddy merely looked at me and I him. This time he didn’t let it go. “But it’s the end of June. I’d be thinking you guys would be swamped here in the summer.” The woman seemed a bit taken aback by this, fumbling with herself for a brief moment. Eventually she straightened her back up. “Oh i-it….. it is! We just get most of our guests after June. They’ll start pouring in come July.” I wasn’t sure how honest she was being, but I decided to give her the benefit of the doubt. Seeing her discomfort with the topic, I elected to chance it on her behalf. 

“Where is everyone?” “Huh?” She asked me. “Billy said you had a big family. I was just wondering where they all were,” I shrugged. Seeming to catch my vein, the woman snapped her fingers. “Oh! Oh, they’re around; they always spend all day outside.” “In the forest?” Daddy’s eyebrow raised. “That’s right.” “What about wolves?” I asked, still not over that. She blinked at me, waited a second, then smiled this knowing smile. “They don’t worry about wolves too much.” Before I could say more, yet another familiar voice joined in. 

“Oh, there you are. I was wondering where you two ran off to.” A happy Billy wheeled out into the yard from around the back of the house. “Hey, Billy,” Daddy greeted him; I think he was developing a repour with this kind man. “Hello, Charlie, Bella. Have a good afternoon?” “Yes, and we’re famished. Just came down for dinner at seven like you said but…….” “Yes! Dinner will be served right away. We’re just making the final preparations with the food. Emily here is our castle chef- see you’ve already gotten yourselves acquainted,” Billy noted. Emily nodded with a smile. “Yes, we’ve just had the pleasure.” “Now we’re just waiting to meet the rest of your family,” Daddy remarked. “Speaking of which, they should be along right about…….” Billy’s head spun to one side of the facing the forest. 

As if by magic a sea of teenage boys, one girl, and Sam poured out from the trees. They were all laughing and being very loud with each other; it’s a wonder we didn’t hear them earlier. The majority of them were about my age, with Sam being clearly the oldest of the bunch. They were all tan, very fit and muscular, had short hair, and were clearly full of energy. What a bouncing, boyish, blustering lot. The first thing Sam did when he got close enough was to go over and kiss and hug Emily; she greeted him with equal enthusiasm. The rest were a little more directionless. They bolstered and laughed with each other as they came over, not particularly concerned with the two American strangers just standing there beside Billy. 

Daddy and I were mildly horrified at their arrival, to put it lightly. We were certainly scandalized. All of the guys were shirtless! And the girl was only wearing a bikini top with some board shorts. Billy and Emily acted like this was totally normal, but for someone as sexually conservative as Daddy and I, it was quite a shock. I should say that I’m not religious; I’m a definite life-long atheist. And I’m not into telling people what they should and should not wear. But I’m also a very big prude and proud of it. It’s not a moral thing; I don’t think people who dress like that are immoral. I just have no desire to see any of that or show off any of my own body- at least until I’m married. I’m very reserved that way, and Daddy loved it. 

The first one to take notice of us was a broader fellow. He first saw Daddy, then me, though he had no physical reaction. He merely grinned in a detached manner. “Well what do we have here?” “These the Americans Sam mentioned?” Another boy, this one shorter and lankier came up alongside him. “How should I know? The only Americans I’ve seen have been in movies and tv,” the broad one spat back. This made my eyes grow huge. Wait, so they’ve never met an American before? How is that even possible with a hotel business in a country like Ireland? We have lots of Irish in America- it just didn’t seem logically possible. “But they are humans,” the girl added, making the others take a second look at us. “Yeah, this must be them.” “Now, boys,” Sam said in a fatherly tone, still holding Emily close to him. They chuckled amongst themselves like this was some sort of inside joke. 

We hadn’t uttered a word to the half-naked bunch of guys or girl when another one of them came running out from the trees; he was the last to join the group. He was grinning and breathing heavily, like he’d just been running. He grinned at all his friends, letting his eyes roll over everyone. They only froze when they came onto me. 

All of a sudden, the boy’s breathing slowed, almost halting. His mouth hung open as his grin began to fade; his expression morphed into one of pure stun. Everyone was watching him by now; I don’t know why his reaction caused every family member present to look his way, but they it. It was like a silent revelation was happening all throughout the scene. The boy’s eyes stayed locked onto me for a solid minute, his mouth remaining open as if he had to remind himself to breathe. Then, out of nowhere, he collapsed onto his knees, letting his thunderstruck gaze drift into space. 

It was like a flip had been switched for the Black clan. No one was grinning anymore; they all looked rather bewildered and in a state of shock themselves. Emily looked at Sam, who was still watching the boy with humongous eyes. Billy’s lips parted a sliver, but no words came out. Some of the boys and the girl merely glanced at each other. The broad one’s lower jaw fell. “Oh no,” he muttered to himself. Daddy and I had no idea what was going on or why everyone was reacting this way. 

Let me say something about the boy who just fell to his knees for a moment. He was gorgeous! No, gorgeous isn’t the right word to accurate describe him. He was beautiful, like a living work of art. He’s the kind of guy romance and hero stories are written about. Tall, lean, and very muscular. His eyes were a deep brown and his lips were nice and plump. Seriously, if I could design the ideal boy on a computer, he would look just like that. He’s like an Adonis specifically crafted by the gods for me. Of course my initial instinct to him collapsing like that was worry. And by the looks of it, so was Daddy’s. 

“What’s wrong?!” I asked no one in particular; anyone who could answer would do. “Is he alright?” Daddy had a little more direction with his question, asking a still dumbstruck Billy. Billy blinked up at Daddy, his mouth still hanging out. It was Emily who took control of the scene a second later. “Uh, what don’t you come help me finish the dessert, Bella? It’s almost done, then we can eat,” Emily rushed over to my side. I turned to her incredulously, shocked that she could even suggest such a thing when a member of her family might be having some sort of attack. But she gave me a pleading look, which quietly assured me that everything would be alright. It hit me like a lightning bolt that this might be some sort of guy problem- like a bodily issue- and it wouldn’t be appropriate for me to stay. She was just being delicate about letting me know what’s up. Realizing this, I didn’t hesitate to go with her, not wanting to interfere with any help that boy might require. Daddy didn’t come with us, instead electing to remain outside. Emily shut the door behind us, but that didn’t mute the sudden yelling and general chaos erupting from outside moments after the door was shut.


	5. The World's Most Awkward Family Dinner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlie and Bella eat with the Black clan that first night.

Emily didn’t say anything once we got to the kitchen. The “ooh” and “aah” of the lovely old kitchen should have been more than it was, but in the back of my mind was still the boy outside. Emily showed me in a silent way how to put the toppings on the desserts. They were individual Irish crème chocolate trifles- an Irish classic. While it looked irresistible, I wouldn’t be having any; I really detest the taste of liquor and alcohol. I’ll be a life-long teetotaller for sure. By the time I finished putting chocolate pieces on top of the third trifle, I couldn’t resist it any longer. I picked up some more chocolate chips and moved to the next glass. 

“That boy outside…….. Is he going to be ok?” I didn’t look at Emily as I asked this, just in case it was an embarrassing scenario. “Jacob?” To my surprise, Emily’s tone was a lot lighter than I anticipated. Wait, Jacob? My eyes grew baffled. “That’s Jacob? Billy’s son?” Emily glanced over her shoulder to me and nodded; her expression wasn’t stressed or visibly concerned at all. “Oh, he’s fine. He’ll be better than ever soon. He just……. had a moment,” though she didn’t look concerned, her last sentence sounded slightly awkward. “Does he have low blood pressure?” I inquired. I have very low blood pressure and know what sudden weakness or light-headedness feels like. Emily’s head shook as she turned back to her dessert. “No, no; nothing like that. It’s just…… well, he’d been running and everything. He might be a bit tired…….. Jacob’s really healthy,” she quickly added. I glanced back to the trifle in front of me. “That’s good,” I gave a tiny sigh of relief. This was preceded by another minute of silence, which wasn’t especially uncomfortable. 

The next time Emily looked at me a minute later, she had this knowing grin on her lips. “Ah, enough about that. Tell me something about you! You’re the first American teenager I’ve ever met; I’d love to hear more about you.” “I’m the first American teenager you’ve met?!” I gasped astonished. I knew we were the first Americans to say at Kylemore Abbey, but to never have met an American teenager before? Like she must have run into one of us in Dublin or Galway at least. Emily must have seen the utter confusion on my face since her back straightened up a little. “W-Well, no; I’m sure I’ve seen them in Ireland before. Just never met them in person,” she corrected herself. I nodded someone reluctantly. It still seemed implausible to me but then, I’d never met an Irish-born teenager before I came to Ireland, so…….. Out of politeness, I decided to let it drop. So did Emily. 

“Are you in high school?” “Yes, I’ll be starting my last year this fall. Then it’s off to university.” Emily’s head nodded approvingly. “Do you like school?” “Oh, I love it. Well, ok; that’s a bit misleading. I love the academic side of it. I’ve always had this unquenchable thirst for knowledge. That’s why I’m excited for university; all the education without the drama- allegedly.” “You have a lot of friends at school?” “A few.” “A boyfriend?” I looked at her when she asked me this and was surprised to find her already looking at me. It didn’t ring any bells in my head at the time; it seemed like a typical question you’d ask a teenage girl. The only reason I looked in Emily’s direction is because I’d never actually had a boyfriend before and thought I may look a bit like a loser if I simply blurted that out. “No, not at this time,” my cheeks sizzled a light shade of pink when I admitted this. Emily, however, was very happy with this response……. for some reason. She spun back around and grabbed a tray full of food with both hands. “Oh, don’t worry about that. You have lots of time.” “I hope so,” I chuckled, finishing up with my trifle count. 

Emily and I came back outside to an obviously weird situation. I’m sure a lot of arguing and shouting had occurred while we were gone; the look on Daddy’s face told me so. But the moment Emily and I exited through the door, all aggressive behaviour vanished- or was repressed, one of the two. No one told us anything; most didn’t even look at us. Instead everyone quietly went to sit down at one of the long rectangular tables with benches on each side. Despite everybody being quiet, they all seemed to know where to sit instinctively on the benches. I sat beside Daddy and this guy I didn’t know the name of. Billy sat the head of the table while staying in his wheelchair. Ironically Jacob- who now looked much better- sat right across from me. I snuck a peek at him while I felt brave enough, only to find him already looking at me- looking at me and smiling. My heart immediately leapt into my throat. He’s smiling at me……. This Adonis of a man is smiling at me. I felt so flattered and overjoyed that I couldn’t help but smile back at him. I didn’t think anyone noticed this discreet exchange of facial expressions, but Daddy saw. He rolled his eyes clearly unimpressed. “Oh boy,” he muttered under his breath. 

Our dinner plates were set in front of us by Emily and the other teenage girl. Once we were all served, they sat down with us; Emily was beside Sam on the other bench. For a while, literally no one touched their food. The atmosphere was almost……. mourning, if that makes any sense. Daddy and I silently looked at each other, unsure of what was going on. Ireland was a catholic country; were we waiting to say grace or something? But soon enough, it was Billy who grinned at everyone and picked up his fork. “Dig in,” was all he exclaimed. 

Like a green light was turned on, everyone began to pick at and eat their meals. Dinner was a traditional steak and ale pie, mashed potatoes, and peas; the plate was covered in gravy. I immediately took my knife- which was a steak knife- and fork to start carving my pie in half. I cut my meat pie in two and divided my peas in two; the only thing I didn’t touch was the mashed potatoes. Daddy glanced my way and held out his hand. “Here, Bells. Give me your plate,” he took it. 

This grabbed everyone’s attention at the table, with all eyes being on us. They watched- some with confusion and others with mild disgust- as Daddy scrapped half of my food onto his plate. This was nothing new to us, but apparently the Black Clan had never witnessed anything like this before. You’d think that by the way they were reacting. The only one who wasn’t looking at us with judgement was Jacob, funny enough. “Not hungry, Bella?” Emily ventured to ask me. “Oh, no. I’m just not a big eater,” I gently corrected her. Daddy nodded in confirmation to this. “She’s always eaten like a bird. Really helps with the food bill,” he divulged like this wasn’t anything bad. Now everybody- save Jacob- was looking at me with those suspicious eyes. If you’re a tiny eater like me, you know the ones. The “I think you may have an eating disorder” glance. 

Nugh, I always hate talking about my diet with people. Not that it’s anyone’s business but I do go for regular check-ups and blood work at the doctors every nine months. That’s partly because I want to make sure I’m a healthy weight, but the biggest reason is because of my low blood pressure. The older I get, the worse it gets. Plus I’m prone to anaemia which doesn’t help anything; that’s what the blood work is for. I eat the recommend calories I need per day, but because of my blood situation, it was recommended to me to eat smaller meals throughout the day rather than three large meals. Hence my little, kid-size dinner portions. I’ll be eating again in two hours so it’s really no problem. I just hate having to tell everyone my medical history in order for them to understand. Still, I realized I had to say something in order to set the record straight with our now concerned hosts. 

I straightened up my back and forced a grin. “I-I eat enough. Just more of a snacker.” Daddy nodded again in agreement. “So long as the doctor says she’s fine, I’m good with it.” This appeared to appease all our us, who nodded slowly in understanding. Then they turned back to their own food and we all began eating again. After a few bites, more glances returned to us with curiosity this time. 

“So, you’re from America?” One of the taller guys- he seemed a bit older than the others- asked neither Daddy nor me specifically. “Yep,” Daddy replied before shovelling a large bite of pie into his mouth. “This is your first time in Ireland, isn’t it?” Billy was next to ask. We nodded in unison. “First, and hopefully not the last,” Daddy remarked after he swallowed. “And you, Bella? You must almost be done school.” “Just one more year to go. Then it’s off to university. Are you guys…… going to university too?” I shyly asked the group of teenagers present. None of them were particularly enthusiastic to respond, save Jacob. We continued sneaking glances at each other and smiling. 

The broad one gave a shrug. “Eh, maybe,” he said before waffling down some peas. It soon became very apparent that they didn’t want to talk about themselves……. for some strange reason. “What do you want to major in at university?” Sam spoke to me for the first time. I blinked to him slightly astounded. “A double major of history and English. I’m really interested in historical literature.” “Literature? What are you going to do with that?” One of the boys spat unimpressed. This earned him a glare from Daddy, Sam, and surprisingly Jacob. But I wasn’t offended; I was used to this sort of question. “I want to get my PhD so I can research. It’s my dream to stay in the academic world,” I sighed almost wistfully. I just loved to think about it. 

“Oh, a university professor? Very good. Don’t meet many like you,” Billy took a sip of his water. “Better for her,” Daddy added; he knew how competitive the academic job market was. “Where’re you gonna go to university?” One of the quieter boys inquired. I drank a bit of water from my cup before answering; I wiped my mouth with my napkin. “I was thinking somewhere in England. They have very good literature programmes there.” 

I don’t think I’ve seen a single sentence shift a mood of a group so fast. The annoyance was palpable, it was that thick. “England?!” The broad one yelled angrily. It was Daddy’s turn to blink taken aback. “What’s wrong with England?” His eyebrow raised up confused. “Oh nothing, if you don’t mind crawling like worms under British boots.” “Paul,” Sam chastised him. “What? It’s true. Haven’t those limeys taken enough of what’s rightfully ours?” Paul fired back. “What’s wrong with Irish schools?” The tallest boy asked me, equally as unimpressed as Paul. “N-Nothing! I-I’ve never considered going to university in Ireland before, that’s all,” my hand rose to my chest defensively. Billy grinned at me, trying to calm the mood. 

“There are some very fine schools here. I’m sure Trinity College would love to have someone as clever as you, Bella.” “Trinity College? Oh, I would looooove that! But I don’t know if I could get in,” I replied honestly. “Nonsense! Of course you would,” he waved off my concern dismissively. “Yeah, that’s better than you living in Britain for three years,” Paul uttered under his breath. “Personally, Bella, I’d prefer it if you chose a school in America,” Daddy wiped his mouth clean. “Oh, that’s worse,” the younger-looking one looked at his friends worried. Daddy and I blinked to the boys incredulously. Why would any of them care where I went to university? They all sure had an opinion about it. Eventually Daddy continued eating the remainder of his meal. 

“You Irish are pretty closed off, aren’t you? At least you’re not going all separatist like your neighbours,” my father remarked. “Seriously; do you know anything about our history?” The teenage girl shot back sassily, earning a sharp glare from Sam. “Doesn’t look like the potato famine hit here too hard.” “Daddy!” My head darted to him in disbelief. He merely looked back at me puzzled. “What? You’re the one who wants to visit Kilmainham Gaol when we get back to Dublin. What do you think you’re gonna learn there?” “The history of Irish independence?” The tall boy stated in an ironic tone. Daddy’s head turned to him, but he didn’t say anything. Sensing an opportunity, Jacob spoke up for the first time- I’ll never forget the first time I heard his voice. His gorgeous, masculine, deep, seductive, beautiful voice. 

“We’re just happy you came to Ireland at all,” Jacob clearly said to me. I looked at him and expectedly blushed. I couldn’t get over how much I already loved the sound of his voice; I knew I shouldn’t have liked it as much as I did. It sounded all the better when he talked to me. To Daddy’s surprise, no one said anything immediately following this. It’s like everyone was staying quiet, giving me ample opportunity to answer back. These would be my first words to Jacob, I realized. No pressure, I inwardly winced. My lips parted as I formulated what to say in my mind. “T-Thank you! I love Ireland too.” Not that, stupid! Gees, I couldn’t think of anything better to say than that? I sounded like a blithering idiot. But Jacob acted like he was charmed more than anything- not the response I was anticipating. 

No one spoke right away immediately afterwards. A couple of Black family members gave each other secret gazes while others just watched us intently. Only Daddy and I seemed to be out of the loop, not that I was particularly worried about it. I’m sure there was a logical explanation for all this. Did I have any clue what it was? Not at all. Would I ever learn what is it? Absolutely. And it began when Emily stood up and smiled at everybody. “So? Dessert, anyone?”


	6. Evening Walk In The Garden

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jacob asks Bella if she'd like to go for a walk in the garden.

Daddy and I weren’t particularly sure what to do with ourselves after dinner. I worried I might have offended our hosts by eating only half my dinner- which was very delicious, by the way- and not touching my dessert. The whole Black clan had been acting……. oh, I don’t know, weird around me ever since I came outside with Emily before we ate. Daddy also got this vibe and although I had no idea what they fought about after Jacob collapsed, Daddy stayed particularly close to me ever since then. He didn’t say what everyone was arguing about, assuming he understood it himself. We stood by the edge of the garden, doing nothing really while everyone else busied themselves. Sam helped Emily clean up the dinner dishes, after she declined my offer for help. Billy was talking to the teenage girl I learned is named Leah. The other boys were rough housing around on the other side of the yard. We were watching them when a figure approached us from the side. 

“Hi,” Daddy and I blinked to see a grinning Jacob come over. I immediately mirrored his happy, shy expression, while Daddy wasn’t as enthusiastic. “H-Hi,” I timidly brushed some stray hairs behind my ear. “I uh, wanted to ask you if you’d like to go on a…… a walk with me……. in the garden,” Jacob asked me; he sounded confident and shy all at once. My lips parted and Daddy cleared his throat. Jacob gazed at him respectfully. “Provided it’s ok with you, of course.” I also looked at Daddy with sappy eyes. “Please, Daddy?” He watched me for a minute before letting out a long sigh and planting his hands on his hips. “A short walk.” “Oh thank you, Daddy!” “Thank you, sir. I’ll have her back in one piece,” Jacob grinned in delight. “Alright, alright. Just don’t be back too late.” “I won’t! See you when I get back to my room, Daddy!” I gave him a hug before joining Jacob’s side. He watched us head towards the garden; his eyes softening as we went. “Don’t go too far!” Was the last thing he called out. “We won’t!” We hollered back, going off together. 

To be honest, I had no idea why Jacob would ask me to take a walk with him in the gardens. Don’t get me wrong; I love gardens! Flowers are my jam. But we’d barely spoken five words to each other, and I can’t imagine what an Adonis like him would possibly see in a skinny, pale nobody like me. Guys like him only fell for normal girls like me in fairy tales and story books. And last time I checked, I was not a character in a young adult fiction novel. 

Still, my heart did skip a beat each time I snuck a peek at him. Every time I saw him, I caught him looking back at me……. and smiling. He was already looking at me and smiling. It’s these kinds of things that’ll make a girl’s head spin. Needless to say, I was in no rush to go back to my room. 

We reached the garden, which was teeming full of beautiful, freshly blooming flowers. My face must have betrayed my joy upon seeing it. Jacob grinned over at me. “Like it?” He shoved his hands into his pockets. I nodded excitedly. “I love flowers……. I would have given anything to have walked through a garden like this back in Arizona.” “You and your Dad live in Arizona?” He asked me, making my head shake. “No. I lived there with my mom for most of my life. Heh, gave me a life-long hatred for blistering heat,” I spoke before thinking. Jacob blinked to me. “You don’t like hot climates?” “No. I have very fair skin, so I sunburn easily. I can wear sunscreen and still get burned. Plus the heat doesn’t go well with my low blood pressure.” “You have low blood pressure?” 

I don’t know why but Jacob’s asking me this made me blink to him. It was then I realized that we’d only been talking about me. He already knew so much about me from the past two minutes, but I still didn’t know anything about him. I just felt bad about the conversation being all about me; I didn’t think I was that interesting. Growing rather shy the more I thought about it, I wanted to shift the talk onto him to make him feel included. While glancing at a rose bush, my mouth opened to speak again. 

“Oh, it’s not that bad. I haven’t fainted yet or anything. But enough about me! Tell me about you,” I said a little too quickly. I sounded as awkward as I looked. Thankfully Jacob seemed charmed by this, relaxing his shoulders a little. “Eh, not much to say. Born and raised here in Ireland. No major health problems……. My skin tans in the sun; not that we much here,” he added with a smile. I grinned back at him, equally as charmed by his response. “You’re so lucky. I love the weather here in Ireland- it’s the exact opposite of Arizona.” “You’re ok with all the rain here?” He asked me. “I prefer that. With the rain comes all this lush, beautiful green. I’d never seen a place more enchanting than Ireland…….” I sighed wistfully. This caused Jacob to grin again. “I’m so glad you like here,” he replied while twirling a leaf in between his fingers. I looked at him through the corner of my eye and couldn’t help but smile. I couldn’t say why but it felt so good being so near to him- this perfect stranger. 

“But I’m not the interesting one here, Bella. Tell me more about yourself.” “Oh no, I think you’re very interesting, Jacob! I’m the boring one.” Jacob’s gaze lowered onto me. “No, you’re not.” “Yes, I am. I’m just your average, everyday girl.” “Heh, and here I thought you American girls were all into the “I’m not like other girls” craze.” “That’s such a stupid craze. Of course I’m like other girls. And why wouldn’t I want to be like them? Other girls have great morals, great ambitions, great personalities- I could go on and on. No, I’m perfectly normal in every way.” “I highly doubt that,” he chuckled. “Oh, really?” My eyebrow playfully raised in his direction. “Absolutely,” he flashed me a brilliant grin. We smiled at one another for a moment before we continued strolling along. 

“Ok, so if I’m different, you must be different yourself.” “What makes you say that?” He inquired. “Only unique people can tell each other apart.” “What kind of leap in logic is that?” His lips let out another soft chuckle. “It makes perfect sense. I think I’m normal, but you don’t, and you think you’re normal, but I don’t. We must see something in each other that we can’t in ourselves.” Jacob paused to face me; his eyes lowered onto mine. “Oh, I see you……. if that doesn’t sound too creepy,” he tacked on a silly grin, which I mirrored. “It doesn’t. I mean, I see you too.” And he laughed. 

“Ok, tell me something about yourself and I’ll tell you if it’s normal or not,” Jacob then said. “Who made you the “normal” police?” I shot back with a laugh. “I did- just now. Go on.” “Ok, uh……..? Oh! My favourite book is War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy.” “You mean that brick of a book?” He gasped astonished. “It’s only……. eight hundred pages. And besides! It’s so much better than the movie. That book is a literal work of art- I’d say the best……. Mmmm, maybe besides Marcel Proust’s In Search Of Lost Time,” I hummed thoughtfully to myself. “Ok, that’s definitely not normal.” “Sure, it is,” I retorted, only for him to shake his head. “What kind of seventeen-year-old reads something like War and Peace, especially in America?” “I do, and I’ve also read Anna Karenina and The Brothers Karamazov too.” “You are smart, aren’t you?” Jacob’s feet stopped so he could watch me curiously. My head turned back to him, also curious to learn more. 

“Ok, that’s one thing about me. Now tell me something about you, Jacob.” “Oh, I can’t top that.” “Of course you can. Tell me a secret, if you must.” “Oh no, we’re not done with you yet- not by a long shot. Ok, miss reads-a-lot. Tell me about your favourite food.” “Boo! I wanna turn!” “Too bad. Favourite food: insert here.” I chuckled. Man, he’s super easy to talk too once you get over the initial shyness. “Ok, favourite food……. Oh my god, I’m such a loser. I love European cuisine, but I can’t help but like that American fried fair food we’re also known for. I’m the type who’ll eat an English breaky for breakfast and feast on caramel apples and mini dounts for dinner. How I’m this size, I have no clue.” “Maybe it’s because you cut all your meals in half?” “Oh yeah!” We laughed this time together. 

We talked like that for what ended up being hours. The time just flew by; neither of us noticed when it started to get dark out. Jacob stirred the bulk of the conversation onto the topic of me, but near the end I was able to weasel some questions about him in. By the time the moon came into view in the sky, we realized how late it was getting. All of a sudden, Jacob was in a hurry to get back. It was like a flip had been switched. He ushered me back, all while constantly checking over his shoulder into the darkness of the forest. It was like he was looking for something. That’s when I remembered what the taxi driver said about wolves being in the area. They hunt at night, don’t they? It suddenly made sense why Jacob was acting on edge, and so I let him lead me back. 

Once we were in the safety of the castle, he immediately calmed down. He blew a sigh of relief and looked at me. Yet again, he was smiling. I was smiling too as he walked me to my room. We stopped outside my door, turning in such a way to gaze at one another. 

“Thanks for the lovely walk, Jacob. I really enjoyed the garden……..” “And the company wasn’t too bad either,” Jacob’s grin widened. I blushed ever so slightly and nodded. “Not bad at all.” “So, are you going to bed now?” “In a bit. I think I’ll take a bath first.” “Mkay. Just make sure to lock your doors and windows. I think it’d be safest if you didn’t leave your room again tonight.” “Why’s that?” I blinked in genuine surprise. Jacob fumbled a bit as if he didn’t have a ready-made answer on hand. “Oh, you know…… This place can get a little crazy after dark,” his broad hand rubbed the back of his head awkwardly; he wasn’t looking right at me as he said this. “Really?” “Well, you just wanna be safe…….” “I do?” That’s when his eyes met mine again. “Yes, you do.” “Oh, ok then,” that was a direct order, albeit a very sweet one. It made my insides feel very, very warm and fuzzy. 

After a moment, Jacob’s smile returned to his lips. His body language relaxed somewhat as his eyes lowered tenderly. “Have a good sleep, Bella. I had a really good time tonight.” “Me too, and you have a good sleep as well.” “See you at breakfast tomorrow?” “I’ll be there,” I grinned. He gave me one last glorious look before turning to head back down the hall. “Good night.” “Good night, Jacob.” And with that, I unlocked my bedroom door and went inside, being mindful to lock up after it was closed.


	7. The Nightmare Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jacob is attacked by a pair of vampires who have their eyes set on Bella.

I woke up the following morning with a big smile painted across my face. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t excited to see Jacob again. Now I know we’d only be here for another two days and I had no business getting friendly with Jacob or any of the Blacks. But at the moment, I didn’t really care. Screw it if I’d regret my decision in three days times. I’ll deal with that then; today I wanted to spend more time with Jacob. And Daddy, of course; though not at the same time. 

I got up, put on my fuzzy housecoat, and went to open the window blinds. They pulled back to reveal- much to my surprise- a big scratch across one of the glass panels. It looked like a couple of big scratches and multiple little scratches. Along with that were a few spatters of blood in between the breaks. At first it didn’t make any sense to me; I could have sworn it looked like someone scratched it- almost tried to shatter the glass, I’d say. But that didn’t make any sense. My room was on the second floor; way too high for any human, male or female, to reach. I considered it for a minute, coming to a rational realization that there must be a logical explanation. I’m sure a bird must have flown into the glass or something like that. It suddenly made perfect sense; that explained the blood spats too. Yes, it must have been a poor bird who flew into my window last night. Strange that it didn’t wake me up, but I am a deep sleeper. 

Just to check my theory, I went outside after I got dressed to inspect the ground under my bedroom window. I didn’t see any bird carcass but there was surprisingly lots of different coloured fur around in the grass. Brown short fur, grey fur, black fur, and a few drops of even more blood. It dawned on me that the wolves everyone keeps taking about must have come into the castle yard last night. They must have eaten whatever flew into my window. Now I understood why Jacob said it would be safer for me to stay inside yesterday. These woods really were teeming with wolves, weren’t they? 

Daddy was already downstairs when I came back inside for breakfast. He greeted me with a big smile. “Hey, sweetheart. Have a good sleep?” He came over to give me a side hug. I hugged him back with both arms. “Uh huh. And you?” “Sure did. My bed was super comfy.” “Mine too! It was so nice to sleep in a canopy bed for the first time.” “Yeah. This is a fancy place; that’s for sure.” 

“Good morning, you two.” Daddy and I looked to Billy who was wheeling up to us. That’s when we spotted the others in the dining hall inside the castle. Everyone was there, except for one notable person. “Morning, Billy,” Daddy said as I kept scanning over the room for Jacob. He was nowhere to be found in the room. Not that his dad acted any different. “How ‘bout a spot of breakfast?” “That sounds mighty fine. Come on, Bells; let’s grab something to eat.” “O-Ok,” kind of absentmindedly, I followed Daddy and Billy into the dining room. A buffet-style breakfast was laid out along the back wall of the room. Trays lined side-by-side full of English bacon, sausages, fried tomatoes, boiled mushrooms, baked beans, white toastie bread, and lots of cereal. Daddy grabbed a big plate and I blinked as Emily brought me over a little plate. She smiled handing it to me. 

“So you don’t have to worry about how much you take.” “Thanks,” I smiled, taking it from her. I always used smaller plates at home so this was much more my style. “Breakfast is just so much easier to serve this way. The boys eat a ton at the start of the day and usually come back for seconds,” I guess Emily felt the need to justify the food setup to me. “It looks great,” I wasn’t sure what else to say. Her eyes rolled my way and I caught her smiling. That’s when I felt was the best time to ask…….. “So um……. W-Where’s……. Where’s Jacob? Is he outside or……..?” I didn’t finish. Emily’s eyes widened then immediately lowered; a clever grin etched itself across her lovely lips. 

“Did you want to eat with him?” My back stiffened up as if I got caught in the act- whatever that act was. “Uh, well…… He just said last night that we’d see each other at breakfast; that’s all,” I didn’t know if she bought it or not. It was the truth, after all. She watched me for another minute before smiling yet again. “He went to check on something in the forest. He shouldn’t be long.” “The forest? Why? Is something wrong? Does this have to do with the wolves prowling around last night?” Emily blinked at me, not responding for a second. It’s as if she was unsure what to say. “Uh, no……. No, this has nothing to do with the heh, wolves. There was just a bit of a ruckus in the trees last night; Jacob just wanted to make sure everything is alright this morning.” “Oh…….” My eyes wandered into space contemplatively. I suppose that makes sense…… But if it was something potentially dangerous, why wouldn’t an adult go check things out? “The wolves……. will leave him alone, won’t they? Is Jacob safe out there on his own?” Emily chuckled to herself, like what I’d said was somehow amusing to her. “Don’t worry, he’ll be fine. Jacob’s a big boy; he can handle himself out there.” She said this, and I wanted to believe her. I really did……. 

I ended up eating my breakfast alone with Daddy. While he got himself a massive plate of food, I ate a piece of toast, one sausage, and some beans. The whole time I was quietly thinking and surveying our array of hosts. Emily and Sam ate at a side table together, being very touchy and lovey dovey with each other. Billy left the room, though I didn’t see him go. The boys and Leah all ate at the main table. They were loud and boisterous as usual, though I did notice that some of them had gashes and minor cuts on their arms and cheeks. Daddy didn’t seem to see, so I didn’t bring it up. Meanwhile my father merrily shovelled food into his mouth; he loved English breakies as much as I did. Eventually he paused to gaze over at me. “Where’s that Jacob boy? Isn’t he having any breakfast?” I shrugged while staring down at my plate. “I don’t know. He’s outside in the forest supposedly……..” 

After breakfast, Daddy went back to his room to have a shower. Since it was around nine thirty in the morning, he didn’t mind me going out on a little walk by myself, so long as I was back soon. I put on my sweater and grabbed my full water bottle. Then I left the castle to go on a walk to I don’t know where. I doubted I’d see Jacob since I didn’t go into the forest proper. Instead I walked down the front steps and gazed onto the path I went on yesterday. That path…… The one that leads to that abandoned cathedral where I met that creepy man. My lips parted on their own accord. The wind blew through a few strands of my long hair. I couldn’t verbally explain it. The longer I stared at the path, the more this compulsion to go along it again overcame me. To be honest, that’s the last thing I wanted to do, lest I ran into Mr. Creep a second time. But……. I don’t know. I didn’t want to go, but I felt like I had to- if that makes any sense. No, of course it doesn’t make any sense; I couldn’t even rationalize it to myself. But before I could come up with a logic conclusion, my feet took on a life of their own. Without my brain’s permission, I was already strolling down that treacherous path towards the cathedral. 

That sensation of obligation multiplied tenfold once the cathedral came into view. Ok, this was getting ridiculous. “No, I don’t want to go back in there. I don’t want to go in there; don’t go in there, Bella. You’ll regret it; don’t do it.” Damn stupid legs! Why weren’t they listening to me? I couldn’t believe what I was doing as my shaky hand reached for the rusty doorknob. “What am I doing? Do you want to get assaulted?! Don’t go in there!” I was practically yelling at myself by now. 

But it was too late. My hand had pulled open the door to reveal an empty church. My feet stepped inside, much slower this time. I had no idea why I was going inside or what was wrong with my body. It’s like my head knew we had to get the hell away from here and my body knew I had to be nowhere but here. I don’t know where I was heading but my feet were moving with intent, albeit cautiously now. Much to my surprise, this invisible pull led me to a hidden staircase near the front of the room. Well, no; that’s a bit misleading. It wasn’t exactly hidden; you could find it easily if you were looking for it. But it wasn’t in plain view either; it resided behind a bend in the wall. It was pitch black downstairs with no sound echoing up. My stomach dropped out my butt when another wave of compulsion swept over me. “No! No, this is where I draw the line. I’m not going down there. This is how the protagonist in horror movies gets murdered. No good can come from me going down those steps.” And for once, my feet didn’t force me to go where I didn’t want to go. But my tune suddenly changed when I gazed at the wall beside me, only to find- to my utter shock and horror- a bloody handprint. 

The blood was fresh; I could see it glistening. My eyes grew gigantic as I merely gawked at the print. I’m……. not alone in here again, and by the looks of it someone is hurt- and likely badly. In that exact moment I wasn’t sure what I should do. Should I run back to Kylemore Abbey and tell somebody? Or should I stay here and try to find the injured person? What if it’s that guy from yesterday? But then, does it matter if it is? A wounded person is a wounded person- end of story. Then again, what can I do? I don’t have my phone on me so I can’t call an ambulance. And what if they’re unconscious? 

A sudden and frightening moaning sound echoing up from the basement broke my train of thought. I gasped, realizing that the individual was in fact downstairs. I did nothing for a second, only to start racing down at the stone stairs at another loud moan. The staircase led to this small, dingy tomb-like room, chalked full of ancient stone coffins. I should note that’s a thing in some places in Europe- they bury their dead above ground. Well, this wasn’t above ground per se, but these bodies weren’t laid to rest in actual holes in the ground. 

I wasn’t sure if it was a wise thing to do to make my presence known yet. It wasn’t my intention to startle anyone. But when the moaning stopped, I felt I had to announce myself. “Is anyone down here?” I said much louder than I wanted to. No response right away. My feet took a few steps inward, only freezing at a figure unexpectedly moving in back shadow of the room. He too took a few steps my way, his expression being much more alarmed than mine. My hand actually rose up to cover my mouth. 

“Jacob!” My cry was so loud, it rang through the whole cathedral. “Bella!” While I looked shocked, Jacob looked terrified. He was wearing jeans and a white t-shirt. My eyes grew at the sight of a bloody gash on his side; it stained the whole right side of his shirt. One of his palms was covered in blood; putting two and two together I knew the bloody handprint I saw was his. It didn’t seem real, finding him down here in such a state. I couldn’t begin to fathom how this could have happened or who might have done this to him. Perhaps it was a wolf, but if it was, why didn’t he come back to the castle? Instead of returning to his family, it was clear he deliberately hid himself down here. But who was he hiding from?! 

To my shock and dismay, Jacob’s hand raised up in my direction and he took a few more steps forward. I felt like I was going to be ill when he then suddenly collapsed onto the floor; his arm was extended out in front of him. “Jacob!” I immediately raced to his side, falling to my knees. “B-Bella, w-what are you doing here?” He managed to get out. “Me?! What are you doing out here?! What happened to you?! Who did this?!” I demanded with the upmost concern. Jacob lifted his upper half up off the ground a bit, and he used his other hand to shush me. “Shhhhh, not so loud. They’ll hear us.” “Who? Who’ll hear us?” But he didn’t answer my question. His eyes locked firmly, desperately I’d say, onto mine. 

“Listen to me, Bella. You need to get yourself out.” “What are you talking about? No, I need to help you! Let me see where you’re bleeding.” “No, Bella; you can’t stay here,” he kept pleading with me. “Then I’ll go get some help!” “Bella, please listen……..” “Did you have a fight with someone?” “If you want to help me, you’ll get yourself out of here.” “You need to go to a hospital. I’ll go back to the castle and call an ambulance.” “No, Bella! Now please listen to me. You can’t stay at the abbey. Do you understand? Now you need to go back to the castle and pack your things. You’re going back to Dublin as soon as possible.” 

My eyes widened as I leaned away from him. I……. I couldn’t believe he was talking to me like this. It wasn’t in a controlling manner either…….. He was begging me to go. But…….. for the life of me, I couldn’t understand why. Did he not want me to run into the people who did this to him? I needed answers and I needed them right now. 

“Please, Jacob. Tell me what happened.” “Bella,” he sounded exasperated. He’s exasperated?! He’s the one who’s refusing to tell me anything. Maybe if he did, I could help out somehow. He must be in an awful lot of pain currently. “Just tell me who did this to you.” “Look, I don’t want you……. to get involved,” he paused briefly mid-sentence as if he caught himself up. “Involved?” My eyebrow raised up. “That’s right. All you’ve got to do is clear out of here. Call a taxi and grab your dad; we’ll refund the rooms and everything. But you’ve got to get away from here. Understand?” “But why? Is it really that dangerous for us?” “Yes! They haven’t seen your type in centuries. If they find you, they’re bound to…….” Jacob’s words pattered off as he couldn’t bring himself to complete his sentence. Merely thinking about this, however, gave him a new burst of energy. I blinked astonished as he stumbled back up to his feet. My eyes grew even wider at the abrupt sensation of someone lifting me up by my forearm. 

“Jacob, what are you…….?!” “You’ve got to get out of here!” “No! I’ve got to stay and help you!” “You’ve given me all the help you can!” I was suddenly being dragged back towards the staircase. I began to wiggle and squirm in his dead-grip grasp. “Stop me bossing me around!” I shouted. “Up the stairs! Go!” Pushing me first, he ushered me up the steps in a rather forceful manner. Not that I was going to be brought about like that so easily. “Jacob, stop it!” But of course, he didn’t. “Hurry up! Come on!” “Will you please be reasonable?!” “I am! I’m trying to save your life!” “From who?!” My voice echoed through the whole top floor. 

Just then, the sound of the door opened rang out everything. A look of pure terror rolled over Jacob’s face. “Oh god, no……..” He whispered more to himself than me. I thought he might break my arm, he was holding it so tight; and I think unconsciously so. The most sinister, insidious voice chuckled. “I know you’re in here, princess. Come out, come out, wherever you are, little girl.”


	8. Abduction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bella is abducted by two vampires.

(Author’s Note: I picked out the villains for this story before I started writing it. There are two vampires from the Volturi who are the antagonists: Demetri and Santiago. For this story just pretend that these two vampires have nothing to do with the Volturi. They are simply two ancient vampires who have lived in the Irish forests for centuries (the werewolves have hunted down most other vampires in Ireland by the time our story starts). Everything else from Twilight is the same, except no Cullens.) 

Jacob literally threw his body in front of me just as the pale intruder turned the bend. We were effectively standing in the same room as Jacob’s attacker and mine potentially so. My eyes grew so incredibly large upon his reveal. My jaw dropped open. 

Him! It’s him! That guy from before. Mr. Lustful! So he’s the one who hurt Jacob, probably in a really sneaky, scummy way. The pale man took a step towards us, with Jacob standing as my own human-barrier between us. But the intruder wasn’t looking at him; he didn’t even spare a glance Jacob’s way. His glowing crimson eyes were securely cemented right onto me. It was almost as if he was tasting me with his gaze, it was that intense. I took a step back while Jacob continued holding tightly onto my arm. 

“There you are, my darling. My, but don’t you look ravishing this morning.” His long, gross tongue ran across his particularly pointy teeth as he spoke. “Run, Bella!” To my shock, Jacob tossed me in the direction of a closed side door with his one hand. Man, talk about strong! Either that, or I’m a lot lighter than I thought. He threw me with such force that I accidently stumbled forward and tripped, landing on my side only stopped by both hands. After wincing, I looked back to see both men now shooting the most hateful glares at each other. The pale hissed- actually hissed- at Jacob. “Don’t you dare handle my girl so roughly. If she spills so much as a single drop of illustrious blood……..” 

Illustrious blood?! My eyes grew wide yet again; this time in confusion as well as repulse. Why the hell would pale guy here mention my blood? And to call it illustrious at that……. It was downright creepy but not in the same way he spoke yesterday. Here I thought he was just some pervert who had a thing for girls my age, but that was much sicker, more insidious comment. I wonder if he was more violent, more sadistic than I originally anticipated. Maybe he didn’t want to just force himself upon me but hurt me in some torturous way in the process. I’m sure whatever he had planned, it wasn’t good in any way, shape, or form. This was confirmed by the purest, most disgusted, most hate-filled expression of loathing I’d ever seen on a man’s face before coming from Jacob just now. It looked like he honestly wanted to rip the pale man’s head clean off him. 

“Go! Run! Go! Go!” Jacob shouted in the most desperate, commanding tone I’d ever heard. He didn’t have to tell me twice. I wasn’t sure if the pale man made a move for me; I didn’t stick around long enough to see. Within seconds, I clambered up to my feet and made a mad dash to the side door. Thankfully it wasn’t locked, and I managed to pull it open with one tug. As I flung myself outside, I could hear the horror show happening back inside the cathedral. 

It honestly……. didn’t sound human. Now, I know that’s crazy and they’re just two men fighting. But something about the noises coming from inside…….. I didn’t look because I didn’t stay long enough but I could hear what seemed to be loud bangs and crashes. It’s as if the wooden pews and podium were being thrown around the room. The sound of glass shattering rang out into the area surrounding the church. I had just gotten roughly ten feet or so before I heard these loud growling and barking noises. My head shot back towards the cathedral as I paused for only a moment. Yes, I definitely heard what seemed to be animal noises emanating from inside the place. It was like a vicious large guard dog growling at a burglar. The growls and barks sounded angry and agitated. They were met with more hissing and shouting- much louder this time. At the time, I sincerely doubted that Jacob and that man could tear the cathedral up from the inside out on their own. They were only human, after all. But I couldn’t so easily explain the animal noises or war-like commotion going on over there. 

Not that I had time to seriously think about it though. Without a second glance, I spun back around to run back to the castle. My mind was solely on getting help for Jacob. He was still injured and needed assistance as soon as possible. I only made it another ten feet or so until I was stopped in my tracks by another unfamiliar hand. Just like that scene in the Mummy Returns- the second Mummy movie- two darker hands flew out from behind one of the bigger trees. One covered my mouth while the other came out further so his arm could snake around my waist. It was no effort on their part to yank me into the forest, where he continued to hold me and cover my mouth. 

The first to hit me- aside from the crippling fear- was how icy cold his hands and arms were. Seriously! It felt like a block of ice was being pressed up against my face. I knew this sudden temperature change wouldn’t help my blood pressure at all and so gave me even more reason to struggle. I didn’t want to be in any kind of position where I might pass out on my own. The new man, however, simply held me there executing no effort whatsoever. He moved me in such a way so he could look down at me. 

His eyes were also a glowing crimson, like the pale man’s. He was black with dreadlocks in his hair. Also a bit on the older side, he looked to be in his early thirties or so. Like Jacob, he proved himself to be very, very strong, holding me completely still with the upmost ease. I couldn’t even wiggle violently, he held me so firm. His eyes narrowed onto me as he gave me a once over. “Looks like Demetri was right. You are perfect.” Demetri? It hit me like a speeding bullet. Demetri must be the one back in the church fighting Jacob! These two men- maybe even more- are working together! And by the looks of it, they’re both targeting me. 

While I continued to struggle- though it felt more like a kitten squirming in a grown man’s arms- the new man glanced around before returning his eyes back to me. He looked to be thinking to himself. “We’re too out in the open here, and those mutts will be come any minute. We need to go somewhere where we can wait until nightfall. I want to wait to drink after dark.” Drink?! What does he mean by that?! Like “drink” me? How would he do that? No, wait; I don’t want to know! He’s probably referring to some deviant sexual act that’ll most likely involve violence. The very idea made my body give an unconscious, desperate thrust, hoping to break his grip on me. 

Of course, I didn’t, and the man merely glanced back down at me with a considerable look on his face. I internally winced as his ice-cold hand someone held onto my mouth tighter. It never occurred to me as weird that his skin wasn’t warm- I had bigger questions on my mind at the moment. My vision was starting to become blurry; little white flashes of lights popped up here and there. I knew what that meant; despite never actually fainting before, I recognized and had experienced the symptoms previously. I knew this wouldn’t end good if he didn’t let me go soon. 

The man’s eyes scanned around a bit quicker this time. I think he was waiting for someone. But there was no time to wait in his opinion. “Demetri will catch up with us later. It’s time to put you to sleep for a little while.” Wait, what? That was all I had time to think before this pinching sensation radiated from behind my neck. It felt like an electric pulse rippled through my body, extending out to the tips of my fingers and toes. It didn’t hurt but I detested the sensation nonetheless; it was too foreign for me. Not that I had long to feel it go through me. Within seconds the world grew deafless and my mind drifted off into this deep, dreamless black abyss.


	9. Lost and Found

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seth finds Bella tied up in a tower.

Nugh, where am I? My consciousness slowly, slowly came back to me. My head felt woozy, but I didn’t feel nauseous- surprisingly enough. While I was slow to come to, my brain rapidly set fire once I remembered what happened. This was only made worse by the fact that my wrists were bound tight behind me, tying me to this wooden pillar of some sort. There was a gag over my mouth so I couldn’t scream or cry. After realizing that I was in a kidnapped situation, my giant eyes shot around in horror. Here I was, a bound girl, in some sort of shack. There was a big window with no glass, and I was positioned in such a way that I could see I was somewhere high. My body began to thrust and shake, trying my best to break loose. No luck; whatever was holding me, and it did feel quite soft, was too tight. The horrific realization swept over me that I might be stuck up here until someone- likely one of the goons- came for me. Gotta break free! I wouldn’t let myself stop struggling. 

I hadn’t been awake for long before this suddenly loud howling noise rang in from outside…… very close outside. It sounded like a wolf howl, which shouldn’t have scared me as much as it did since I was up in here and safe from any wolves. But the shrill frightened me, nevertheless. I shut my eyes, tears already streaming down the sides of face when someone- or something- began clawing up the side of the fixture from the exterior. There was this crashing noise and what seemed to be a boy yelping. Even more crashing followed. My eyes were shut but only for a second when whoever it was climbed in through the window. 

“Bella!” He cried. That voice…… My eyes shot open as I peered at the new arrival. It was one of the Black boys! Not Jacob- I didn’t know this one’s name. But I recognized him from the castle earlier. He was on the younger side, skinner than the other boys, and a bit shorter. He didn’t hesitate to rush over to me. He wore a look of sheer shock on his face, even though he was trying to calm me down with his hand gestures. 

“Bella, it’s me- Seth! Leah’s younger brother! Everyone’s been looking for you!” The first thing he did after waving his hands about was remove my gag. I took a few much needed breathes, coughed, and turned my head back to him. “Are you ok?!” Seth panicked, repeatedly scanning me over for injury. I was surprised when he turned in such a way to show him both sides of my neck. He gave a clear sigh of relief at the sight of just a normal neck. “I-I’m ok, I think……..” I honestly wasn’t sure at this point. My body still felt too detached from me. But this was a satisfactory answer for Seth, who let out yet another relieved sigh. “Thank god…….” 

“T-This man took me……. H-He grabbed me in the forest and….. and…….” “It’s ok, Bella; it’s ok. You’ll be alright now. I just need to get you outta here before they come back,” Seth turned his attention to my bound wrists. It wasn’t long before he began letting out frustrated moans. “Ugh, too tight……. I can’t untie it; I’ll have to cut it with something.” “Where are we?” I felt it appropriate to ask him, praying we weren’t too far from Kylemore Abbey. “We’re in an old storage tower over the mountain. Those dirty blood suckers sure did a good job masking your scent.” “My scent?” This obviously confused me. I mean, how could anyone possibly smell me from up here? But Seth remained serious. “We been searching all day. We knew we had to find you before nightfall or……. Well, luckily I did, and it doesn’t look like you’ve been bitten yet.” “Bitten?!” Just what kind of disgusting, sex-crazed, moral-less perverts were the men who abducted me? I couldn’t get over how inherently, righteously gross this all was. If I ever get out of here, I’ll never leave the house again without pepper spray. 

While Seth continued to try and untie me, there was another loud howl outside. I stiffened up afraid while Seth looked overjoyed. “Oh, good! They’re here!” He exclaimed. “Who’s here?” I asked somewhat nervously. Surely he couldn’t be referring to the wolves. All fear left however, at the glorious sound of Jacob’s voice. 

“Seth! Seth! Is she alright?!” Seth left my side for a moment to go over to the window. “She’s alright! But she’s tied up in here!” “She’s what?!” That was Jacob. “Where is she? Is she inside?” Another voice- Paul’s I think- appeared. “She’s inside, but she’s tied up!” Jacob again. “Did he find her?” Yet another male voice- this one unknown but I knew to be one of the boys- joined in. “Where are the vampires?” Paul’s voice. Vampires?! I doubt my eyes could have grown larger. “Escaped back into the trees, but they won’t be gone for long. We should get back as soon as possible,” the unknown voice said back. 

“I broke all the dead vines climbing up, so I can’t come down to get a knife! Can you throw me up one?” Seth hollered down. Oh, so that was the breaking and banging noise I heard earlier, I realized. “Catch!” Paul shouted as he tossed up what looked to be a pocketknife. “Perfect!” Seth announced before running back to me. He immediately got to work on the rope binding me. “Hurry, Seth!” Jacob sounded the most concerned out of everyone. “Don’t worry, sis. I’ll have you free in no time.” 

True to his word, Seth managed to cut through the rope in two minutes. Once I could feel my hands slip, I instantly brought them out in front of me. I rubbed both wrists, which were red where they were tied. “Thank you, Seth.” “You’re welcome. Now let’s get outta here!” Seth let me go first as I immediately headed for staircase, but he grabbed my arm. “Not the steps! The door’s been bricked up. This way!” And thus, I was led back to the window. We both looked out to see four boys standing on the ground right below us. Jacob’s eyes instantly fixed onto me. 

“Bella!” “Jacob!” I cried back; I was simply elated to be rescued before those creeps came back. “Steady!” One boy I did not know the name of raised his hand cautiously. “We’re up really high,” all my enthusiasm was dying off quickly. There didn’t seem to be any clear way to get down. And I wasn’t the only one to notice this. Paul took a step forward, watching us intently. 

“Ok, it looks like you’ve gotta to jump!” “Jump?! Are you crazy?!” I fired back, lest Paul forget I’m mortal and liable to fall. “We’ll catch you! You’ve gotta get down from there!” Another boy I didn’t know shouted up. “This is insane!” “No, you staying up there and letting those cretons catch you again is insane!” Paul retorted. Seth grabbed both my shoulders and spun me in such a way so to face him. “Look, Bella. I’ll jump first, and then you have to jump right after me. Ok?” “Seth, we’re over fifteen feet high!” “What other choice do we have? It’ll take too long to break down the brick door.” I looked at him quietly for a second with the terrifying realization that he was right. Nodding in an understanding sort of manner, Seth let go of me and climbed up onto the ledge. “Be careful!” Jacob called out. 

With a deep breath in, Seth jumped off the window ledge. All four boys down below ran to catch him; his fall was broken by four muscular bodies. “You ok?” Paul asked, giving Seth a once over while helping him to his feet. “Y-Yeah, I’m ok,” Seth replied a bit shaky. Immediately after this, all sets of eyes were on me once again. Jacob opened his arms out for me. 

“Ok, Bella; it’s your turn.” I wanted to move but my legs wouldn’t let me. It was already a traumatic experience enough being kidnapped like this. I wasn’t jumping at the opportunity of leaping out of a tall tower now. The boys waited for a minute, but only a minute. “She’s too scared,” Paul noted. “Bella? Come on, honey; jump. I’ll catch you.” “I-I…… I can’t do it!” My knees were shaking too badly. “Yes, you can! I promise I’ll catch you; you won’t hit the ground. I promise you, Bella.” Despite my best efforts, my limbs still wouldn’t move. 

Paul let out a low growl. “This is taking too long. Make her jump!” He barked at Jacob. “Jump, Bella! You can do it!” Seth cheered. “Yeah, you can do it!” “Jump, sis!” The other two boys joined in. All encouragement was violently interrupted by some loud rustling in the bushes nearby. Everyone looked, then Paul and Jacob looked at each other. “Oh no…….” Seth muttered to himself. Jacob’s head spun back to me in despondency. 

“Bella, you have to jump now!” “Jacob, they’re coming!” One of the boys exclaimed. “Please, Bella! I’ll count to three!” Finally comprehending the gravity of the situation, my brain had to override my body’s self-preserve instinct. With my eyes shut, I very shakily stepped onto the ledge; one foot followed by another. I still hadn’t opened my eyes, afraid that I might fall back if I did. Readying himself, Jacob got into position. “One, two……. Three!” 

Three! Without conscious will, I flung myself out from the windowsill. I think it’s the bravest- and stupidest- think I’ve ever done in my life. True to his word, Jacob caught me, and shielded any impact I might have had on the ground with his own body. Seth, Paul, and the others also ran in to help lessen the fall. Just like with Seth, all of them piled themselves underneath me. Jacob’s arms wrapped around me as everyone tumbled down to the ground. He lifted me up before he got himself up. “Are you alright, Bella?!” He asked me in a panic. But before I could answer, two figures emerged from the thicket. All males present stiffened up to be as straight as boards, and Jacob used his body to shield me yet again. I could still see them from over his broad shoulder. The two men who abducted me……..


	10. The Purest Of Desires To Protect

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bella learns that vampires and werewolves are real, and Jacob is going to do everything in his power to keep his unknowing mate safe.

My eyes locked onto the two men terrified. The Black clan boys also had their vision cemented on them, but they didn’t look as scared as me. All males present wore expressions of pure, unadulterated rage towards each other. Whatever had gone on in the past between them, there was most definitely bad blood now. And I was still blissfully unaware of the supernatural elements at play here. 

But not for long. 

The two creeps dared to take one look at me, and the boys went into full force. I fell down- literally fell backwards onto the grass- when Paul suddenly sped towards them, leaping into the air. I’m not joking, this human boy transformed mid-air into this gigantic wolf. He was like a regular wolf but on steroids. My body flung me back in an act of self-preservation; I landed hard on both my palms. My mouth was agape, and I don’t think my eyes were ever wider in my life. I……. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing! Right here, in front of me, this……. this……. creature unexplainably appeared- morphing from a human body. I didn’t believe it; I couldn’t believe it. I was a rational person up to this point. I didn’t even believe in ghosts, for god’s sake! And now, here I was, staring at proof that totally contradicted my entire world view until this point. This wasn’t helped by the other two boys- Seth and the one I didn’t know the name of- also transforming in a like manner. I watched in a state of shock, unaware of the battle about to ensue. 

What I just described to you happened in a matter of five seconds, or less; though it felt much, much longer to me. In the blink of an eye, the boys turned into these massive, terrifying wolves and charged at the two men. Instead of the men running or reacting in any sense of the way I did, they had the gull to run towards these wolves with the intent to strike. If I couldn’t believe that humans could turn into werewolves, this certainly trumped that. It seemed like suicide to me- two grown men were clearly no match for huge wolves, and never mind that there was more than one of them. But they clashed and I felt like I was in the Matrix as the men were actually able to stand their ground against the wolves. They no longer seemed human to me either. 

The only ones who weren’t engaged in the fight or showing any signs of abnormalities were Jacob and me. That doesn’t mean that Jacob wasn’t doing anything. Before I had time to realize what was going on, I was scoop up into Jacob’s arms where he held me princess-style. Then he took off like a flash away from the skirmish. Ungodly sounds echoed from back near the storehouse. But Jacob didn’t stop running until we were far, far away, in a part of the forest I’d never seen before. Then again, I hadn’t seen much of the woods to begin with. 

Panting heavily, Jacob set me down onto my feet, holding me until I was steady. I looked at him and yanked myself away from him as fast as I could. “Let go of me! Let go of me!” I repeated until I was at an arm’s length distance. “Bella, listen to me!” Jacob began to plead. My head simply shook as I continued taking steps back; I hugged myself with my arms. “How……. Wha-…….. I…….. I don’t have words to explain how confused, and scared, and stunned I am!” “I can explain everything,” he replied. I blinked at him in that moment with the most incredulous look on my face. 

“Explain? How can you explain what happened back there?! Your cousins turned into wolves! And those two men were able to go up against them! How in the hell can you possibly explain that to me?!” My voice was continuously raising. Jacob brought his finger up to his lips to shush me. “Shhhhh! Not so loud! We’re still close enough that they might here us.” “Oh, you actually think your werewolf cousins wouldn’t have utterly destroyed them by the end of it?!” I barked back, not lowing my voice at all. I know this contradicts what I just said about the men holding their own against the wolves, but my mind was in a funny place now logic-wise. It just seemed so apparent that a pack of oversized wolves would eventually best two human men; which I’m sure they weren’t human. 

I flinched dramatically as Jacob’s broad hands grabbed both my shoulders again. He held me so firm that I wasn’t going anywhere. His eyes locked firmly onto mine. “Look, Bella, we need to keep moving. So long as you’re here, they might come back and find you. You’ll be safe in Dublin.” “Dublin?” My eyes grew, in anger this time. “That’s right, and that’s where you’re going until we can take care of those two blood-suckers for good.” A surge of rage overcame me as I once again tried- and failed this time- to break loose from his grip. He was treating me like a goddamn child, and I was sick of it. He was younger than me, for Christ’s sake! If he really intended on explaining everything to me, he’d better do it and I mean now! 

“Don’t you tell me where I’m going! Now tell me what’s going on! I want some answers now, Jacob!” To my utter astonishment, Jacob had the audacity to let out a huff, like I was the one inconveniencing him all of a sudden! Yet he still didn’t take his eyes off of mine. “I will tell you, Bella; I swear to you, I will. But this is not the time or place. You’re in danger here and I’m not going to let you stay and endanger yourself! If getting you away from Kylemore Abbey means that you’ll survive, I’ll do it without a second thought. Just until we can hunt down those vampires and get them off our land once and for all……..” 

Wide-eyed, I was able to take a step back from Jacob who now pulled back his hands. My mind was blank as my lips spattered uncontrollably. “You……. You’re one of them, aren’t you? You’re a wolf too, aren’t you?” “Bella, please………” His hand rose up in my direction. My head gave a small shake in disbelief. “This whole time……. we’ve been staying with a pack of…… of werewolves! I had no idea…….. But it suddenly all makes sense. Those scratches on my window, the fur, those horrific noises……. They were all you! And……. and what do you mean by “vampires”?!” I cried, bringing both of my hands up to my chest. If I’m being truthful, that would make sense too. Those creeps did have a bizarre fixation on my blood. 

“Bella, we need to go, and we need to go now. You’re coming with me,” he reached for my wrist, sending me back into a hysteric. “No, don’t touch me! Don’t you dare touch me! Why did you keep this all from me?! Why did you leave me in the dark like that?! Don’t you think it was important that I know the forest is teeming with literal werewolves and vampires?!” “I didn’t want to scare you, Bella! I doubt you’ve met any of our kind in America!” Jacob retorted, a bit louder now. “No, you’re right; I haven’t! Which is why I’m in such a state of shock now! You didn’t think I needed to know this?! That I wouldn’t find out eventually?!” “I already knew you’d find out eventually, but not like this! I wanted it to be in a calmer, more romantic setting when the time came!” Wait, I blinked in surprise. Did he just say “romantic”? And more importantly, he was planning on telling me all along? But why……..? If we were only supposed to be staying here for three days, then why would Jacob bother waiting……….? 

Jacob sighed and came closer to me; his body language was softer now, but just a little. “Listen to me, Bella. I know you’re confused and afraid. This is all new to you; I don’t expect you to understand any of this. But I do expect you to trust me- someone who does know what’s going on.” “Trust you……. Why should I trust you?” For a moment, Jacob didn’t say anything. But my heart skipped a beat when his hand suddenly rose up to brush a few stray hairs off my cheek. His face was so sincere and passionate just then……. “Because I’m going to do everything in my power to keep you alive. If those blood-suckers want you, they’ll have to get through me first.” Jacob…….. My eyes grew as my heart began to flutter. Stupid heart! This is no time to be getting all happy and emotional! You’re supposed to be mad at him, remember? But I’ll admit, my anger was melting fast as he continued to look at me that way and tenderly push back my hair. My lips parted a sliver while I collected myself. 

“W-Why?” “Why what?” Jacob inquired. “Why do you care about me so much? Why is it so important to you that I’m safe? I mean, we barely know each other………” I heard my voice trail off. Jacob sucked in an audible breathing, acting as if he didn’t quite know how to respond. Soon enough however, his mouth gave a little side-grin; his thumb caressed my left cheek. “It’s hard to explain…….. Just think of it as a wolf thing for now.” “A wolf thing?” My eyebrow raised up. His eyes merely lowered onto me in a gentle fashion. “It’ll all make sense to you soon. I just need you to be patient until then; be patient and do what I tell you. Honestly, Bella; I just want to protect you, that’s all.” “You……. want to protect me?” My heart did that overjoyed fluttering thing again. An organic smile drew across Jacob’s lips like it was the most natural thing in the universe. “Yes, Bella. Believe me when I say that ever since the moment I saw you, an unexpected fierce sense of protectiveness came over me.” 

I don’t think my cheeks have blushed more than they did right at that moment. All my brain- and cart-wheeling heart- would let me do is gawk at him dumbfounded and profoundly electrified. No one’s ever said anything like that to me before, and I’d never felt this way about someone either. I know; I know. It’s barely been two days but still……. Something felt……. different, special about the situation. My hand rose to rest on my pounding chest. “I-Is that……. a-a wolf thing too?” I asked very timidly. Jacob chuckled, clearly charmed by my stunned and demure reaction. “Yes.” Jacob…….. My eyes lowered. I still have no idea what’s going on or where all these vampires and werewolves came from…….. But for the time being, I guess I’ll decide to trust Jacob. After all…….. he seems to have a vested interest in my safety.


	11. Escape Into The Woods

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jacobs transforms and takes Bella even further into the forest.

Jacob and I only had a moment together in that small clearing before a familiar, terrifying figure appeared from the thicket. The man with dreadlocks, now looking totally different, ran into view. He was moving in such a way that wasn’t human; his limbs moved much faster than any I’d ever seen- even athletics couldn’t move like that. From the moment his now glowing red eyes found me, he began to charge at an alarming speed. 

Jacob, not in the state of shock and terror I was, immediately went into action. I watched horrified as he leapt into the air and- you guessed it- transformed into a wolf in front of my very eyes. I stumbled backwards aimlessly as the two beasts charged at each other head on. They fought, making the same terrifying sounds I had heard earlier in the cathedral. The man- whom I’m now assuming is a vampire- bore his fangs at Jacob and swatted at him. His skin must have been as tough as iron because Jacob with bite back leaving no marks whatsoever. It still didn’t seem physically possible for a human-sized man to take on an over-sized werewolf and not be torn to shreds in a matter of seconds. But what I was currently witnessing obviously disproved that. 

Somehow werewolf Jacob managed to grab the vampire by his arm and throw him a fair distance. Instead of chasing after him or waiting for him to return, Jacob then instantly dashed over to me, still in wolf form, and looked at me with those huge brown eyes. Before I knew what was happening, he moved in such a way so to swoop me up onto his furry back. It felt weird sitting on him like this. It was like riding a horse, only without a saddle and a lot more fur……. But I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t also comfy. 

I gave a little shriek and clung tightly onto his back when he all of a sudden began to run in a new direction back into the forest. Needless to say, it was a very bumpy journey. He didn’t stop until we were even further from the storage tower; Kylemore Abbey was nowhere in sight. Jacob scouted the area with his eyes and nose before I guess he decided it was safe- for now. I flinched as he gently twisted his back in such a way as to slide me off. Sensing what he was doing, I jumped off of my own accord and glanced around. We were in the middle of some old ruins; probably a castle at one time. Old stone bricks and pillars laid scattered around but there were no rooms left; for the most part everything was weathered down. Jacob watched me intently as I surveyed the area, curious and confused as to where we might be. 

Werewolf Jacob made this little woof sound, which then caused me to spin around and look at him. “C-Can you understand me when you’re like this? Can you still understand English?” His massive wolf head nodded. Ok, that’s good; at least we’re able to communicate when he’s in this form. Speaking of this form……. “Can you……. change back? I mean, whenever you want?” Another nod from his side. Ok, I breathed an inward sigh of relief. So he’s not stuck like this forever then. My face softened a bit as I continued to meet his piercing gaze. “Are you gonna…… stay like that for a while?” 

Werewolf Jacob’s eyes lowered in a way which I think he hoped I’d understand. I did, flashing him a kind smile. “Ok, then. Until it’s safe.” Seemingly satisfied with that, Jacob’s head bobbed up and down a little. I took this as the “ok” to start exploring this place a bit more. As I walked down into the ruins, Jacob followed alongside me. We reached a set of crumbling, old stone steps leading down into even more ruins. As if things couldn’t get any worse, this surge of wooziness abruptly came over me as I descended the first step. My vision turned light for just a second and I became light-headed. The result was my feet stumbling down a bit too fast; so fast that my still hazy mind couldn’t keep up. A worried Jacob watched my butt land on the grass at the bottom of the staircase, which wasn’t too high if I’m being honest. The wolf rushed down to my side, repeatedly scanning me over for injury. I took a few much-needed deep breathes before turning to him. 

“S-Sorry, low blood pressure. I haven’t had anything to drink this afternoon……..” And forget about food, which was a whole other story on its own. My condition was the last thing on my mind since I was abducted, but neglecting it would soon prove a problem, lest I want to go fainting in the middle of the forest. 

Werewolf Jacob seemed to grasp the severity of the situation. After peering around, he motioned for me to stand up with his nose. He brushed up my side and arm with it, and I followed suit. I got up, albeit it shakily. Jacob stood beside me, letting me use him as a crutch as we began to move forward. Very carefully, the wolf led me to a nearby stream. At first, I had my reservations but after seeing the water was crystal-clear, I thought it better I drink now than chance it any longer. Jacob didn’t take his eyes off me while I drank, cupping the water in my hands. Once I’d had my fill, I gave Jacob another warm smile. This boy, er wolf…….. He really seemed to care about me. I still didn’t entirely understand why, but I already decided to trust him, so there’s nothing I can do. His soft brown eyes narrowed onto me absorbedly; it was like he was a sponge, soaking up my essence. We stared at each other for a moment- our eyes locking. “Thank you, Jacob. I’m glad you’re here.”


	12. Nightfall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jacob and Bella go to sleep for the night.

(Author’s Note: I know this isn’t true to the source material, but I would feel more comfortable there was no nudity in my story. Just pretend that when Jacob turns back into human, he- like all the other werewolves in this story- have their shorts on somehow (he’s not wearing them when he’s a wolf, but they somehow magically reappear when he changes back).) 

We stayed up in those ruins for I don’t know how long, but by the time the sun was setting, werewolf Jacob was a lot more at ease. I sat down on the bottom step leaning against Jacob, who was spread protectively behind me on his stomach. There was a branch cracking nearby, which made us both flinch. Jacob started growling, only to stop when this cute bunny rabbit hopped out from the bushes. I made this little “awe” sound and Jacob got up. I think he thought it safe enough to turn back into his human form by now. I watched him morph back into his original body, hugging myself and not saying anything until he turned back. Jacob shook himself up a bit and looked my way. 

My lips parted a sliver as I was unsure what to say. It didn’t help that he was shirtless once again; all the shirtless boys from yesterday suddenly made sense to me. I blushed, looking everywhere but his tan, broad, bronze chest. God, he looked like a craved statue or something! “You ok?” I inquired shyly. Jacob grinned lightly. “Yeah, I’m ok.” “G-Good,” it was nice to know that transforming didn’t hurt him at least. He took a step towards me, reaching over to take hold of my hand. My eyes went from our clasped hands up to his face puzzled. “You need to drink.” 

Surprised and a tad delighted, I let him guide me back to the stream by the hand. I think he was worried about me fainting on him or something like that. Still, I didn’t object and kneeled down to scoop up a few mouthfuls; Jacob watching me the entire time. Then I straightened up. “Where are we?” “An old castle used to be here a thousand years ago. The Danes burnt it down when they terrorized this part of the forest.” “Oh, I see,” I glanced around again curiously. Jacob proceeded to sit down on the bottom stone step, and I did the same, sitting beside him. As if to be reading each other’s mind, our eyes turned and met simultaneously. 

“Jacob, when can we go back to the castle?” “When it’s safe.” “We can’t stay out here all night; my father will be prostrate with worry.” “Prostrate with worry?” He repeated, cracking a smile and lifting an eyebrow. I retorted with one of those looks. “You know what I mean.” He let out a long sigh, spinning his head to face forward. “We can’t go back yet. Those damn blood-suckers know where you’re staying, and if you go back to the castle now, they’re sure to come after you.” “But what about Daddy? He’s a human too. Isn’t he in danger?” Jacob’s eyes softened a tad and not in a good way. His fingers rose to brush some stray hairs off my cheek again. “I think they have a different target in mind. It’s your room they tried to get into last night; not your dad’s.” “Hmmmmmm,” I considered this before remembering something. I looked at his side only to find no sign of a wound. My eyes grew in alarm. 

“Hey, where’s your injury?” “What?” “That gash across your side; the one you had this morning when I found you. What happened to it?” “Oh, that. Uh, it’s another wolf thing. My injuries heal whenever I turn into a wolf and back.” “Really? That’s convenient.” This caused Jacob to chuckle. “Sure is. But it doesn’t make me totally immune. I can still get hurt in this or wolf form. That’s why I got that cut in the first place; that bastard snuck up to me when I was like this.” “I see……..” I nodded once more, feeling a little more vulnerable now.

Jacob looked at me for another second before sighing. “I am sorry about all this, Bella. I really wanted this weekend to go differently for you.” “It’s ok, Jacob. It’s not your fault.” “Yeah……..” His eyes scrolled downwards. Then they rolled back up again, much gentler this time. “We should get some sleep. I have this feeling it’s going to be a long day tomorrow.” My cheeks sizzled a bright pink when he suddenly scooted over to place his head on my shoulder. While I was having a mental fit over the scene, Jacob acted like this was the most natural thing in the world. The moment his skin touched mine, his eyes shut, and his lips parted a little. I could hear his breathing, but it was still very gentle. Jacob! He’s so close to me right now! And he’s acting like there’s nowhere else he’d rather be, he’s that relaxed. And that in turn is relaxing me…….. I don’t get it. We still barely know each other; so then why is he acting so……. so familiar with me? And why did I like it so much? Seriously. My eyes lowered as I rested my head against his. Why does it feel so good to be so near him like this? This boy who was akin to a stranger to me. [“Believe me when I say that ever since the moment I saw you, an unexpected fierce sense of protectiveness came over me.”] Oh yeah, maybe that’s why……..


End file.
